After being denied clearance a few months ago for "loopholes in its application", Patanjali Group company Vedic Broadcasting Ltd (VBL) has finally got approval to launch three channels offering spiritual content in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada next month.

VBL is controlled by Acharya Balkrishna, a close associate of yoga guru and Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev. On Monday, the broadcast network was given clearance for three channels by the new I&B minister, Rajyavardhan Rathore.

The aim of these channels will be to spread Vedic knowledge in south India, said SK Tijarawala, spokesperson for Patanjali Products, part of Patanjali Group. Tijarawala is also advisor and national head of Aastha, another channel controlled by VBL.

Officials in the ministry said the last time the Patanjali Group’s file for clearance to the channels was put up, the application was found wanting of critical details, and officials clearing the channels had raised questions over propriety and required procedures for the process.

Tijarawala said, "This should have happened long back, but I am thankful it finally did now. We have completed the necessary formalities. Only the satellite approval is awaited, which should happen in the next few days."

According to Tijarawala, the Malayalam channel of the network will be launched in July. The company has prepared 400 hours of content comprising yoga lessons, ayurveda, stories of sages, etc., dubbed in south Indian languages, he said.

This is not the first time the group’s plan has run into trouble. Earlier, the government had not agreed to Ramdev’s proposal of running Khadi shops or starting an education board of his own. During the time of the UPA government, the group’s Aastha channel had received a show-cause notice for transmitting news about his campaign against black money, as the terms of the licence granted to the channel did not permit broadcast of political news.